Combined chair and ladder



AFYEH 1950 w. D. EARLEY 2,5@5,67

COMBINED CHAIR AND LADDER Filed July 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Aprifl 25, 1950 W. D. EARLEY 2,505,607

COMBINED CHAIR AND LADDER Filed July 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Q W417i: 0.126452 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 25, 1950 T U N ED S TAT ES T OFFICE COIVIBINED CHAIR AND LADDER Walter D. Earley, BrooklymN. Y.,.-assignor:of.one

half .tol'aco'b M. Lehrfeld, New York, N. Y.

4 Glaims.

Thisinventionrel-ates to a combined chair and ladder, more particularly to a chair that is convertible foruseeas a stepladder.

The object oi. this invention is to. provide a chair. having a back, which chair can be readily converted for use as a stepladder by a rectilinear sliding movementof the chair-back.

Another object isto provide a chair of this type with a back that at all times extends above the level of the. seat so as to afford a comfortable chair for ordinary. use, and which backin open or operative position of the stepladder, serves as a support for a person ascending the steps.

A further .object is to provide a deviceof the character described in which the laddermember is automatically held in its closed position so that it cannot accidentally fallinto open position.

Other objectscandadvantages of the invention will appear from the following description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a convertible chair embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the ladder member in its open or operative position;

Fig. 3 is a front View corresponding to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4.11s 2. side elevation ofxamodified .form of the inventiomwith one of thelegs partly broken away;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the ladder in open position, with one of the legs and rungs partly broken away; and

Fig. 6 is a rear view of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, I indicates gen erally the chair member, and II the stepladder member of the device. The chair comprises a seat I2 supported on legs I 3 that are connected by rungs or braces I4. The chair has a rectilinearly slideable back I by operation of which the ladder member may be extended to its open position, or retracted into its closed position within the space between the legs of the chair. The ladder member is provided with the usual steps or treads I6.

One form of the invention is shown in Figs. 1,

2, and 3 in which the ladder member is turned -up-side down or inverted in moving from open to closed position. In this form the back I5 of the chair member includes a pair of upright arms Il inclined slightly rearward from the vertical, which arms are slideably supported in sleeves I8 secured to the rear portion of the seat I2, and the frame of the ladder member is hinged to turn about a rod or axis I 9 that extends across and is fixed to the two front legs of the chair.

A rod extends transversely through openings in thelowerends 21 of the arms ll. Pivotally connected to this rod, adjacent to its ends, are two links 22, the distal or lower end portions of which links are formed with longitudinal slots 23. Lugs or pins 24, extending laterally outward from the frame portion of the ladder, project and ridein said slots. It will be seen that the links serve to pivotally connect the chair-back with the ladder.

In closing the ladder from its open position shown in Fig. 2 to the position. shown in Fig. l the back I5is pushed down by the operator to its extreme lower limit, defined by the stops 25. This movement; depresses" the. links 22 to turn the ladder-member II inwardly about its pivot I9. During this movement the links slide freely with respect toitheladder by virtue of their slot and pin connection with the latter. When; however, the pins 24 strike against the inner ends of the slots,ut-he links then act positively on the pins to turn the ladder. As theladder reaches an elevatedposition, just beyond. its dead center, gravity will causeit to fall into its final closed position shown in Fig. 1. In order to return theladder to its operative position shown in Fig. 2 all that is necessary is to raise the chair-back. In this movement, when the ladder achieves a position on the other. side, or to the left of dead center, gravity will cause the ladder to fall automatically into projected position. It will be apparent, therefore that only a minimum of efiort is required on the part of the operator either to close or open the ladder, and that when the ladder is in its closed position it will be held in that position against accidental dislodgement. Upward movement of the back I5 is limited by abutment of the rod 20 against the lower ends of the sleeves I8, as best seen in Fig. 3.

The modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6 differs principally from the form previously described in that the ladder member slides bodily into its retracted position instead of being turned up-side down. In this form the upper end of the frame 27 of the ladder member II is provided with a transversely extending rod 28, the outer ends of which ride in guide slots 29 formed in the side brace members 30 of the chair.

The upright arms 3i of the chair-back I5 pass slideably through openings 32 and 33 in the seat 52 and the strut 35 respectively. The lower ends 35 of the arms 3! are forked and are pivotally connected by pins 36 to one end of the links 31, which links have a. longitudinal slot 38. The other ends of the links 31 are pivotally connected 3 at 39 to the frame 21 of the ladder member. A rod 40 passes through the slots 38 of links 31 and is supported at its ends in the rungs or braces 4| of the chair-member.

The modified form operates in a similar manner to that of the form first described, that is to say, the ladder in its open position may be retracted to its closed position by merely pushing the chair-back l5 downwardly. For the reverse movement of the ladder, it is merely necessary to slide the chair-back upwardly. In either case, movement of the ladder is effected by a rectilinear sliding motion of the back through the links 3'! that pivotally connect the back with the ladder.

It will be observed that when the ladder is in its retracted position shown in Fig. 4, there is no possibility that the ladder will accidentally fall into open position, because of the fact that it is locked in that position by the links.

Various modification in the details of construction herein illustrated and described may be made Within the scope of the invention defined in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A combined chair and stepladder comprising a chair, a back supported on the chair for up and down sliding movement, said back including a pair of downwardly extending elongated arms, a stepladder slidably engaged in oblique guide slots formed in brace members at the sides of the chair below the seat, a pair of links each having one end pivotally secured to the lower end of one of the arms of the back and having its other end pivotally secured to the ladder, each of said links having a longitudinal slot intermediate its ends, and a rod fixed to the chair and extending through said slots.

2. A combined chair and stepladder having mounted at the rear thereof a substantially vertically and rectilinearly movable member the upper portion of which at all times extends above the seat of the chair, a stepladder, a first pivot member connecting the latter to the chair, said stepladder adapted to be retracted into and projected from the chair, a. link, a second pivot member connecting one end of said link to the stepladder and a third pivot member connecting the other end of said link to said rectilinear-1y movable member, said link having means for guiding its movement, whereby upon pushing down said rectilinearly movable member or pulling the same up, the stepladder is retracted or projected relatively to the chair.

3. A combined chair and stepladder having mounted at the rear thereof a substantially vertically and rectilinearly movable member the upper portion of which at all times extends above the seat of the chair, a stepladder, a first pivot member on the stepladder and connecting the latter to the chair, said stepladder being adapted to be retracted into and projected from the chair, a link, a second pivot member connecting one end of said link to the stepladder, a third pivot member connecting the other end of said link to said rectilinearly movable member, and side members in the chair, each having a slot in which the first pivot member rides and by which the movements thereof are guided, whereby upon pushing down upon said rectilinearly movable member or pulling the same up, the stepladder is retracted or projected relatively to the chair.

4. A combined chair and stepladder comprising a chair having a back supported to slide rectilinearly up and down, a stepladder slidably secured to the chair, a slotted link pivotally connected at its ends to the said back and said stepladder respectively, a pin fixed to the chair to engage in the slot of the link, a brace on the chair ,having an upward and rearwardly extending slot, and a pin at the upper end of the stepladder sliding in the last mentioned slot, whereby on raising the back the ladder is slidably retracted into inoperative position within the space between the legs of the chair and on lowering the back th ladder is projected to operative position relative to the chair.

WALTER DONALD EARLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,820,904 Beck Sept. 1, 1931 1,822,399 Hayne Sept. 8, 1931 2,147,905 Lilliston Feb. 21, 1939 

